Resources for Musicians
General Resources for Church Musicians
Useful Websites
- American Guild of Organists
- Association of Anglican Musicians
- Episcopal Church website music and liturgy page
- Episcopal Common Prayer
- The Hymn Society
- Music That Makes Community
- Sewanee Church Music Conference
- Union of Black Episcopalians music and liturgy resource page
Resources on Facebook
- Association of Anglican Musicians
- Church Music Forward
- Episcopal Church Musicians
- Hymn Society in the United States and Canada
- Music That Makes Community
Print and other resources
Published for every liturgical year, by the Living Church Foundation, The Episcopal Musician’s Handbook includes a template for each Sunday with suggested hymns; Major Feast and Saints’ Days, Burial, Confirmation, Ordination, Lessons and Carols, etc., and other useful information.
Search ChurchPublishing.org by categories Liturgy and Worship, and Music. The Church Publishing site includes hymnals and hymn supplements: The Hymnal 1982, Wonder, Love, and Praise , Lift every Voice and Sing II, Voices Found, My Heart Sings Out, Enriching Our Music 1 and 2 (Music for Enriching Our Worship), and the recently-released Sing a New Creation (Anglican Church of Canada). Various books of sung or chanted psalm settings and other resources for musicians, including the newly-revised three volume set Liturgical Music for the Revised Common Lectionary, a planning guide including hymns from Episcopal, ECLA, Moravian, and Anglican Church of Canada resources. For the Sundays after Pentecost, Gospel-related and semi-continuous lesson options are differentiated.
ForwardMovement.org also provides in their catalog a range of more general-interest resources within liturgy and music.
St. James Music Press offers psalm settings and anthem suggestions for each Sunday of the liturgical year for an annual fee of $159, including permission to reprint and podcast for each selection. Instrumental, handbell, and children’s choir music is also included. SJMP awards grants to churches starting or revitalizing a music program. Visit sjmp.com/grants to learn more.
Copyright and Licensing Information
A range of general information regarding copyright law is available online in addition to information specific to particular publishers and composers. When in doubt, ask!
Church Publishing Copyright Information provides links to several resources and explains connections with the Church Publishing tools RiteSong and RiteWorship.
You may need one or more license to cover your music needs, including for printing music in bulletins, displaying it in projection, and streaming online:
- OneLicense catalog includes The Hymnal 1982 and other hymnals authorized by the Episcopal Church; the license is an annual fee based on church attendance and there is a separate bundle for streaming. A chart is available listing SKU numbers for those using OneLicense to make hymn licensing easier to report.
- CCLI (Church Copyright License) includes Christian music; information on their website covers types of licensing and resources for understanding copyright
- CCS (Christian Copyright Solutions) includes 28 million songs, both secular and Christian; see additional information at ASCAP
- Live-streaming. Live-streaming brings its own issues relating to copyright and usage permission in addition to any licenses or permissions necessary for in-person use. These two sites may provide helpful information: Copyright issues related to live-streaming or Episcopal Diocese of Olympia livestreaming guide
Public Domain Day offers information about copyrighted items from 1925 that went into the public domain on January 1, 2021
Small Church Music provides free downloads (MP3 and Midi files) of public domain music, including the Episcopal Hymnal 1982, with instrumental accompaniment and sung versions.